Shortcrust chicken pies
Shortcrust is the pastry for a chicken pie that has to hold together: a base that slices cleanly, a crust that survives the lunchbox, a pie that can be carried. It is also the pastry most likely to go soggy underneath, which is why most of these recipes blind-bake the base or start the pie on a hot tray.
The all-butter shortcrust guide is the foundation for every recipe here, and how to stop a soggy bottom ranks the fixes by how much difference each one makes.
10 recipes
Double-crust chicken and leek pie
An all-butter double crust over a filling of braised leeks and thigh meat.
1 hr 50 min · Serves 6
Classic American Chicken Pot Pie
A double crust pot pie with chicken, peas, and carrots in gravy.
1 hr 30 min · Serves 6
Chicken and Mushroom Pie
Browned chestnut mushrooms and chicken in a savoury cream sauce under shortcrust.
1 hr 25 min · Serves 6
Chicken and Butternut Squash Pie
Roasted butternut cubes and chicken in a sage cream sauce under shortcrust.
1 hr 30 min · Serves 6
Chicken, Sage and Onion Pie
Slowly cooked sweet onions and sage with chicken, like a roast dinner pie.
1 hr 20 min · Serves 6
Chicken, Cheese and Mustard Pie
Chicken in a sharp cheddar and wholegrain mustard sauce under shortcrust.
1 hr 15 min · Serves 6
Chicken and Sweetcorn Pie
A family pleaser of chicken and sweet corn in a creamy sauce.
1 hr 10 min · Serves 4
Chicken Pie Without Cream
A lighter chicken pie with a stock and milk sauce, no cream needed.
1 hr 10 min · Serves 4
Gluten-Free Chicken Pie
A proper double crust chicken pie made with gluten-free pastry that holds.
1 hr 25 min · Serves 6
Curried chicken hand pies
Freezer-friendly parcels with a filling built on your leftover roast.
45 min · Makes 8
Guides that help
How to make all-butter shortcrust by hand
Rub 125g cold cubed butter into 250g plain flour with a pinch of salt until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, then bind with about 5 tablespoons of ice-cold water and rest the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
How to stop a soggy bottom on a chicken pie
Four fixes, in order of impact: blind bake the base for 10 minutes before filling, cool and thicken the filling so it cannot soak in, brush the base with egg wash as a seal, and bake the pie low in the oven on a preheated tray..
How to blind bake a pie base step by step
Line the chilled pastry case with baking paper, fill it with baking weights, and bake at 200C (400F) for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more until the base looks dry and lightly golden.
How to line a pie dish properly
Roll rested pastry to 3 to 4mm thick and about 5cm wider than the dish, lift it in over the rolling pin, then ease it into the corners without stretching before trimming with a small overhang.
More ways in: chicken pot pie recipes, quick weeknight chicken pies, freezer-friendly chicken pies, leftover roast chicken and turkey pies, mini, hand and party chicken pies, puff pastry chicken pies.